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University to bring extravaganza of events for night of discovery and fun

University to bring extravaganza of events for night of discovery and fun

04 September 2017

One night, unlimited discovery...

Aberdeen will become a hub of discovery, debate and entertainment when the University of Aberdeen hosts Explorathon 2017 in September.

The University leads the fourth annual Explorathon event in Scotland on September 29, which will also see the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, St Andrews and the Beltane Network of Universities in Edinburgh bring events to their respective cities.

Explorathon or European Researchers’ Night is the largest public engagement with research event in Europe and this year is coordinated across 250 cities. Explorathon showcases the cutting-edge research being conducted in the nation’s universities using a range of exciting and interactive formats for people of all ages and interests.

The fun kicks off in the Bon Accord Shopping Centre and in front of Marks and Spencer where from 10am, researchers from the University will be on hand to talk about everything from the latest cancer research to what mediaeval Aberdonians ate – and for those who are brave enough there will even be an opportunity to taste some of it! Dr Tavis Potts will talk about Aberdeen’s relationship with the sea in ‘Our Spectacular Coast’ at Aberdeen Maritime Museum from 12.30pm. PechaKucha returns to the Belmont Filmhouse for an Explorathon special which will feature talks by Marie Curie fellows showing the variety of their research in the fast-paced and fascinating PechaKucha style. Dr Alan McCue will explain how to turn crude oil into plastic bags in a Café Sci special at Waterstones at 7pm. Alternatively pop to the bar in Belmont Filmhouse at 7pm for a pub quiz with a difference in which some of the University’s award winning museum artefacts will be available for handling. As part of the Sci-Screen series, the cult classic Total Recall (1990) will be shown at the Belmont preceded by a talk from Dr Mike Turner about the controversies surrounding psychiatry that are touched on in the classic film. Game of Thrones is the subject for round table discussion at the Blue Lamp from 8.45pm where comedian Helen Keen leads the debate on the history and science behind Game of Thrones.

If all that weren’t enough, Aberdeen Science Centre will be holding an Explorathon special from 4pm onwards that will include games, hands-on activities with lasers and holograms, and talks ranging from hitting the perfect note to the search for life on Mars. At 7pm in the Science Centre there will also be a live virtual tour of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

There is such a breadth of research being undertaken at the University by some of the best and brightest in their fields, so it's great to be able to bring this research and these talented researchers together with the public in so many different ways."
Chris Croly

Project coordinator, Chris Croly, said “We have a really great set of events this year, from nutrition and health to a unique one off pub quiz where contestants will get the chance to handle some museum artefacts.

“There is such a breadth of research being undertaken at the University by some of the best and brightest in their fields, so it’s great to be able to bring this research and these talented researchers together with the public in so many different ways.

“The events in Aberdeen will showcase the world-leading research going on at the University and highlight the exciting and diverse variety of research-related career paths that are open to University of Aberdeen graduates.”